I got to thinking, I know that is bad, do dogs need all the shots?

Question

When I was a kid growing up we had dogs that never went to a vet. They never got rabies or heart worm or distemper and lived to be 15 years old. Are we being taken by the vets and drug companies by things that are a hit and miss occurance. Should we ignore all the shots and take our dogs to the vet if they get sick.
50 years ago why is it we never heard if heart worm, is this something new?
Do dogs really need the boster shots every year? Or are we getting ripped off.

To stop all you people that want to tell me how bad I am. I will tell you my dogs get their booster shots every year and rabies shots ever three years. I treat my dog better than I did my kids when they were growing up.

Answer 1

No dogs do NOT need all vaccinations, NO they do NOT need yearly boosters... and no heartworm,distemper & rabies are not new diseases.

Back when I was growing up many kittens & puppies died from distemper, however many people didn't realize this is what it was since they didn't know waht distemper was and never took their pets to the vet. In the 1970's Parvo really did an upswing and became more & more common and more & more wide spread and more & more deadly. In the 1960's rabies cases started to rise and in some states almost became epidemic. Until the late 1970's- 1980's heartworm was mainly an issue in southern states rarely heard of in other areas.
Some of these things weren't heard of by a lot of people because 1) no one took their pets to the vet 2) if a pet became ill it simply died on it's own or was taken out ot the back 40 and disposed of 3) there are now tests to check for things there weren't years ago.

Also it is well to remember that people travel a lot more now as do their pets so along with this travel comes the spread of diseases to other areas.
No most vets & the drug companies aren't out to rip you off. Actually at least one of the major drug companies is at the forefront of testing and the new protocol recommendations. Since vacciantions & various tests have come into play the incidences of parvo & distemper has dropped dramaticly as has the cases of rabies, however unfortunately since so many people are starting ot jump on the no vaccinations ever bandwagon these illnesses are starting ot be on the rise again.
With the new protocl for vacciantions from the AAHA/AVMA and all 27 vet schools there is no need ot vaccinate yearly and it is NOT recommended nor are all vaccinations.
The only core vaccines needed by all dogs are distemper/parvo/canine hepatitis/adenovirus-2 and rabies. These vaccinations only need to be given every 3 years (studies show that distemper/parvo are actually good for life).

Some dogs may need lepto, parainfluenza, lyme and kennel cough(bordatella) depending on if they are at high risk of exposure or not.

No dog should ever be given coronavirus, giardia or adenovirus-1.

It is recommended that ALL vets in the US follow the following protocol:
8-9 weeks distemper/parvo/hepatitis/adenovirus-2
12 -14 weeks repeat
16 -18 weeks repeat for 3rd and final in the series
20 weeks or older rabies
one year from date of last vaccination a booster and then no more for 3 years.

Puppies should NOT be vaccinated under 8 weeks of age. iti nterfers with natural immunity, can supress the immune system, can cause future problems with vaccinations and can leave a puppy suseptible to the very illnesses you are trying ot protect it from.
For more info check out Dr. Jean Dodds site, Dr. Ron Schultz site. Also there is an excellant article on vaccinations in the 2006 November issue of The Whole Dog Journal

Answer 2

Don't vaccinate your dogs every year. That is way too much. If your vet is recommending it, find a new vet. The vaccination protocol changed years ago to once every 3 yrs. Studies show the vaccinations last much longer than 3 yrs. Many of us don't vaccinate our adult dogs except for rabies because it's a state law. Since I stopped vaccinating every year, my dogs have been much healthier and are living longer than any dogs I ever owned.
I also am careful about what I feed them. I do still feed kibble, many have switched to a raw food diet, but I feed premium kibble, nothing with by-products, corn, wheat, soy.
Heartworm is a real problem where I live, so I do give a heartworm pill.

Answer 3

Most dogs only need their rabies and other core shots every three years. If you live on the farm with rats you should vaccinate against Lepto. Different areas have different needs for shots. Heartworm has been around for a long time but due to so many people traveling from the south to the north it is a widespread problem. We had a Beagle that was not neutered and died because of it at age 8, I had a cat, over 40 yrs ago that didn't get his shots and died of Feline Leuk, the next one died of feline Distemper and the last one got all her shots and lived until old age. My Parent's beloved mutt died at 5 yrs old from being HBC. Most dogs or cats did not live long lives just as people did not. I give the rabies and all shots but KC every 3 yrs. KC I give every year as it lasts only 1 year.

Answer 4

I remember both distemper and parvo going through dogs when I was a kid. Either the shots weren't available or not widely used back in the "olden days". Distemper starts as a nasal issue and even some blood droplets form the nose. It ends in seizures, tics, and painful crying and howling as the brain swells. Parvo is barfing and pooping to death. I really think all dogs should have their puppy shots to prevent these simple diseases from killing them. Rabies should be given at least once to insure public safety, probably twice just to be safe. But it is mandated because states love taxes.

Do dogs need umpteen dozen shots annually, NO. That is a strong armed marketing ploy from the drug companies and unscrupulous or just plain uneducated vets to make money. In fact, I have heard of some vets trying to push 3 or 4 or even more rounds of puppy boosters on young dogs and unsuspecting owners. That is criminal. They need two if the first one was before 16 weeks. And believe it or not, one Puppy shot will do if you have it after four months. And it is best if the first puppy round is given after the 8wk mark. But few people know that.

So I do believe they need some shots, but not what is being forced on them. And I don't think you are horrible at all. I understand your thinking. In fact, core puppy shots with a rabies would make the animal immune for life. Dogs only live 10-15 years. The immunity will last that long.

Another issue is the dog food, dog supply marketing schemes. I like the poster who said, "did dogs hunt cans of alpo in the wild?" I can't remember who said that ,but it was brilliant. Marketing makes people believe what they hear without using their brains if they hear it enough. It really dumbs down the general public. Dogs don't need any of that crap. They lived without it before it was marketed, so they will live without it just fine now.

Answer 5

There are dangers that come with over-vaccinating, so people should research on that subject so they know if they don't need to get a certain shot for their dog.
I work at a grooming salon, and every dog that comes in has to have proof of rabies vaccinations. Not to mention if you want to travel with your dog (or cat), you have to provide proof of vaccinations. And in case of emergency-hurricanes, etc-if you have to evacuate and want to bring your pets, they won't be allowed to any shelters etc without current shots.
Heartworms are so easy to prevent, with the pill once a month, but once the dog gets them, they can only kill the heartworms by almost killing the dog itself.

Answer 6

we have to do things differently than they were done 50 yrs ago because we live in a different environment...there are airborn things that nobody can imagine...animals are very close to the ground and can pick up all kinds of viruses...it's safer to get the shots and other vet services than risk the life of an animal...especially when you have them as part of your family...even worse are the chemicals used inside your home...if you have bare floors (hardwood or vinyl) and use something like swiffer to clean with, make sure the dogs or cats don't eat directly off the floor...they lick the cleaner and are soon too sick to heal...i lost a chihuahua who was old already by the time i got the swiffer...she was very healthy though and i didn't consider what would happen when she put her food on the floor to eat from...2 yrs later, she had to be put down...so be careful with the things that come into contact with the dog's paws and how it cleans itself...

Answer 7

i agree, when i was younger we only took them when they were ill or had a problem.
no rabies, no distemper, no worm meds... maybe only treatment for fleas.. if that
i think we are getting ripped off now a days.
i only get my dog a rabies shot when needed.
now i have to get my indoor cats a shot too- new law - thanks spca
i'm all for animal welfare but i think it's just a way to get more money out of the conumer market
i never had a prob with pets dying bcse they didn't get a booster shot one year